For the Sake of Bethel Woods

After the departure of their original lead singer and subsequent reboot with guitarist Eric Pulido at the helm, Midlake defied the odds by delivering one of the best records of their career in 2013s Antiphon. After that, little was heard from the mysterious Texas indie rock combo who went on a hiatus for the remainder of the decade. Together since 1999, Midlake has cycled through a number of unique phases from the eclectic pseudo-psychedelia of their 2004 debut on through the lush folk-rock of 2006s The Trials of Van Occupanther and 2010s British folk-inspired The Courage of Others. Re-emerging after a nine-year gap, their fifth album, For the Sake of Bethel Woods, retains some of the progressive experimentation of its predecessor without losing sight of its sturdy core of songs. In producer John Congleton, Midlake has found a worthy foil and he helps imbue highlights like the gorgeous "Feast of Carrion" and "Meanwhile…" with a sense of elegance and mystique. Their harmony-rich blend and talent for dynamic arrangements are as engaging as ever, especially on the propulsive "Bethel Woods" and the shapeshifting "Exile." Gracing the albums cover is a painting of keyboardist Jesse Chandlers father as a 16-year-old, his likeness cropped from an audience still of the legendary Woodstock Festival which he attended in 1969. Following his death in 2018, the elder Chandler purportedly visited his son in a dream and urged him to re-form the band. Its a poignant origin story for this productive and rather emotional reunion. ~ Timothy Monger